Refrigeration means



July '5, 1 938.

:' W. F. DART REFRIGERATION MEANS Original Filed March 8, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

July 5, 1938; I w. F. DART 2,122,680

' REFRIVCVIERATION MEANS Original Filed March 8, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J 1 l7 l2 3 9 4 .fiGf-Al. r

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JQ M

ATTORNEYS.

Patented July 5, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Divided and this application April 17,

1935, Serial No. 16,856

3 Claims.

be .fully opened when desiring to reinove or. re-

place articles from the food compartment, and which will permit exposure of the ice cube chamber when desiring to obtain ice, so that atmospheric temperatures will not readily enter the food compartment and unnecessarily raise the temperature therein, consequently permitting the refrigerator to be more economically operated and the temperature within the refrigerator more evenly maintained, assuring a better preserving of food products over a longer period of time.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of inner and outer doors mounted for simultaneous opening and closing of the refrigerator and capable of being operated, so that the inner door may remain closed for the closing of the food compartment during the opening of the outerfdoor, while at the' same time giving admittance to the ice cube chamber.

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating a refrigerator equipped with a door construction constructed in accordance with my invention. I

Figure 2 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view showing the inner and outer doors latched together and occupying door-closing position.

Figure 31s a similar view showing the inner and outer doors moved simultaneously to an open position for exposing the tor. r 1

Figure 4 is a similar view showing the outer door occupying an open position while the inner door 'occupies a closed position and exposing the rack of the inner door so that articles may be readily placed in and removedtherefrom.

Figure 5 is-a fragmentary sectional view showing the means of latching the inner and outer doors together and also a spring catch for aiding iii-maintaining the inner door in a closed position y when the: outer door is released therefrom and swung to an open posltioni Figure 6 isa detail sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a disrupted view showingone'of th hinges. 1 p

Figure 8 is a fragmentary view showing the latch for securing the outer door in closed position and the finger piece of the latch employed interior of the refrigerafor securing the inner and outer doors together. Figure 9 is a fragmentary, view showing one of the hinges.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral l indicates a conventional type of refrigerator wherein the cooling unit is shown at 2 and is of the type to freeze ice cubes or blocks, the remaining interior of the refrigerator being employed for the storage of food products and the like. Heretofore when obtaining ice from the freezing or cooling unit it was necessary to expose the entire interior of the refrigerator to atmospheric temperatures, causing an unnecessary raising of the temperature of the refrigerator and increasing the cost of operation and maintenance, and to overcome these disadvantages my invention is employed and is in the form of a closure hingedly mounted to the refrigerator and includes inner and outer doors 2' and 3 both supported to the refrigerator I by hinges 4, capable of permitting the doors to swing simultaneously or oneindependent of the other. I shaped so that when in closed position, will expose a freezing or cooling unit 2 while the food compartment is closed to the atmosphere. The outer door 3 is of the chambered or flanged construction forming upon the interior face thereof a chamber or space 5 to receive a rack 6 supported by the outer face of the inner door when said doors engage with each other or when latched together which will be hereinafter more fully described. The rack 8 may be employed for various articles not needing very low temperatures for their preservation and when the outer door 3 is opened independently of the inner door, the rack 6 becomes fully' exposed so that articles may be readily placed in and removed therefrom.

A spring catch 1 is carried by the refrigerator to engage with the inner door for aiding in retaining the latter in a closed position when the outer door is swung open. The catch 1 is of a conventional type, that is employing a spring pressed ball engageable with a notch or socket formed in the inner door. The outer door is equipped with a conventional type of latch 8 to engage with a keeper 9 on the The inner door 2' is refrigerator. I forretaining the outer door in a closed position and is operable by a handle II when desiring to free the outer door for move- .ment into an open position.

A keeper II is carried by the outer face of the inner door and enters the chamber 5 when the inner and outer doors are in abutting engagement and is engaged by a latch I! carried by the outer door where said doors'will be fastened together.

The latehconsists of-amember lljc-urnaledina bracket ll carried by the outer d-eor and has formeduponitsinnerendenangularly disposed projection or arm ll to engagewith the keeper ll. Blidabiy mounted in the outer wall of the outer door is a tubular finger piece I whichslidably receives the member I! and the latter is providedwithspiralgrooves l1 enmedbya lug ll formed on the finger piece I. whereby end- 10 wise movement of the finger piece eill impart rotation to the member II. A call spring-l! is interposed betweenthebrecket II and theinner end of the fingeripiece it for normally urging the latter in one direction or in a direction to cause rotation of the member "for positioning the arm Hinengagementwiththekeeper ll. A

manual movement of the ilnger piece in an or positedirection causes reverse rotation of the member I! to disengage the arm lifrcsn the keeper II. It is preferable that the, finger piece it be located in close proximitytethe handle II c: the latch l so'that a personoperating the handle lltofreetheouterdeormayalsooperatethe latch I! to free said outer door from the inner door, permittingthe latter to remain in closed position. when desiring to open both doors simultaneously the operator simply releases the outer doorbyactuatingthehandlellterelease theIatchOfromthekeeperl andbotndoors 80 may then beswung simultaneously to anopen position.

Having thus described my invention. what i claiimisasnewanddesiretosecurebyllettersl'at- "en, 2-

1. The combination witha refrigeratorccmprising a heat insulating cabinet open at one side,aheatinsulatingdoorforclosingtheopen amaoso side of said cabinet, a ce-oling unit mounted in the storage compartment enclosed by said cabinet to cool said compartment and a freezing chamber therewith adjacent said door, of

a removable shield disposed in the open side or said cabinet adjacent said door to close the open.

area around said freezing chamber whereby the cold air isretainedin the storage compartment when thedoor is opened .to enter the freezing 2. In a refrigerator the combination of a heat insulating cabinet having an open portion, a heat ing, a refrigerant evaporating element within said cabinetfor cooling said compartment: a pivotally mounted shield in the rear of said door and spaced therefrom to provide a space therebetween.

said shield being provided with a cutaway portion for gaining acce to said evaporating element, and being arranged to be swung outwardly for gaining aceess to said food compartment. and a plurality of shelves mounted on the outside of said shield and at the'side of and'below said cutaway portion. 1

' WILLIAM F. DART. 

